Back in the Groove

We are slowly getting back in the groove.

The girls were back to tennis lessons this morning.

The mounds of laundry are shrinking.

Yup.

Getting back into the summer groove.

It's a good thing.

potd #191.  D hitting during lessons.  Love that I got the ball as it came off her racket.  Can't imagine not having a camera on my phone.......

Vacation Memories

Today was our 1st full day home.

And we didn't do too much.

I did laundry.  Lots of laundry.

The girls relaxed.  They played.  Watched TV a little.

Pretty much did what 9 year olds should do on their 1st day back from a 2 day road trip.

It was a good day.

I even was out in the garden a bit.

Did some weeding.  Did some watering .  And picked our first green beans.

Which we had with some zucchini with our grilled chicken tonight.

I also looked at some more pictures that I took over the weekend.

And remembered what a nice trip we had.  A really nice trip.

There was a small garden on the path to a great little restaurant, The Island Cafe.

I just loved the flags that they had lining the path in the garden.

And the food was delicious.  We ate breakfast there twice.  Yum.

A boat ride on Saturday.  Each lost in their own thoughts.

Hubby and D posing with Paul Bunyan.

We had breakfast at Paul Bunyan's, another restaurant in Minocqua.

It was yummy and they make the most yummy donuts. 

And of course they had to pose on our way out.

D&E posing with Paul Bunyans' blue ox.

This is Aunt J.  She's a twin too.  She and her twin sister, another J!,  are the youngest of my father-in-laws' siblings.

There were seven kids in all.  My fil was the only boy and was the oldest.  The rest, girls.

One of Hubbys' aunts also had twins.  Boys.  They are grown and married now too.

So for 3 generations there are twins on my Hubbys' dads' side of the family.

Pretty amazing.

One of these times we'll get all 3 sets of twins together for a picture.  

This is a bald eagle.  So much fun to watch.

There were quite a few that had their nests around the lake.

They are so big.  Quite impressive.

Here is the store where we bought our cheese curds to bring home with us.

They are yummy.

And here is Hoggie Doggies.  A great road side restaurant.  

You know the kind.  You order at the window.  Then wait.  They call your name when your food is ready.

Then you eat at a picnic table.

Their bacon cheeseburger deluxe was fantastic.  

The fried cheese curds were delish.  

The 1st time we went we got 1 order of the fried cheese curds to share.

The 2nd time, we each got our own order.  And there wasn't a cheese curd left.

We highly recommend the fried cheese curds when going to Hoggie Doggies.

A truly memorable vacation.

potd #190.  Here are the few green beans I picked tonight.  I just love picking fresh veggies from the garden.  Can't wait until the tomatoes start to ripen.

Home Sweet Home

Ahhhh, home.

We just got in about an hour ago.

It was a long day.

Started in South Bend, Indiana.

Ended here at home.

We had a fantastic trip.  Definitely one we'll all remember.

And we are pretty sure we are good to take the cross country trip we've been thinking about doing.

Summer 2014.  That's the plan.

So after 14 hours on the road, we finally got home.

There truly is no place like home.  No matter how much fun the vacation is!

D was snuggled up in her bed within 20 minutes of us getting home.

E was not long behind her.

Pretty sure they are both sound asleep right now.

And I am not long behind.

Agenda for tomorrow: nothing.

Well, maybe just a little bit.

Like laundry.

And then sitting by the pool.

That sounds like a perfect way to spend our 1st day home.

potd #189.  Took this pic this morning with my phone.  We were just heading out of South Bend when I saw this sign.  I just love it.  I love the retro look to it, though I am sure it's original.  Hubby was sweet and stopped for me so I could snap a picture or two.

Homeward Bound

Back on the road again today.

After a wonderful vacation, today we started the journey back home.

Tonight we are staying in South Bend, Indiana.

Home of the Fighting Irish.

Notre Dame is quite the storied university.

Even in the dark, South Bend looks like a good college town.

Will be interested to see what it looks like in the daytime.

For now, we are all beat after a long day on the road.

We are all looking forward to being home tomorrow.

To see Lucy.

And to sleep in our own beds.

potd #188.  Chicago has a great skyline as you drive through the city.  The tall building is the Sears Tower.  Pretty Impressive.

Wedding Bells

Today was wedding day.

**edited to add that wedding day was Saturday, the 7th.**

L & E had a gorgeous day for a wedding.

Beautiful sunny skies.  A few clouds.  And not as humid/hot as it has been.

Just perfect.

Here is L and her dad, Uncle B.  She was a beautiful bride.

The ceremony was very sweet.

The young girls are Es' daughters from his 1st marriage.  E & J are wonderful girls. 

Toward the end of the ceremony, L&E  gave the girls necklaces as small symbols of the 4 of them becoming a family together.

Pretty sure there was not a dry eye in the crowd.  

The sunflowers were just beautiful.

Cousins L & D.  Super sweet girls.

Hubby and D

D&E with my fil, aka Papa.  Sweet.

Kisses for Papa

Hubby with his Dad.  They have the same cowlick.

Cousin K.  The girls loved her.  She was super sweet with them. 

They all had fun dancing at the reception.

potd #187.  L & E posing.  They and D had lots of fun playing together.  Looking forward to seeing her(and her mom and sister D) again when we travel to Arizona in the fall.

A Day at the Lake

Today we spent at Lake Minocqua at Aunt N & Uncle Bs' house.

There was lots of family.

Lots and lots of cousins.

A great day to spend together.

Here are some fun shots from the day.

J, L, and E having fun in the lake

Hubby drove the deck boat and all the girls had fun on the tube.

G really liked the bubbles!

Here are hubbys' cousins A, C, L(the bride), and Aunt N.

Here are D&E with L.  They are all 9.  L is Hubbys' youngest 1st cousin.

Hubby has 18(I think I counted right!) first cousins on his dads' side.  And the age span is 30 years from Hubby being the oldest and L being the youngest.

That's a whole lotta cousins.  And that's not even half of them!  A few couldn't make it to the wedding.

C was sweet to give the girls rides on the jet ski.

Aunt C and her son S.  So sweet.

D, who is not my daredevil, has loved riding on the jet ski and going tubing.  Too cute.

Going for a boat ride!

E caught a good size bass.  Thank goodness B, aunt C's other son, was there to help.  

Because there wasn't anything I was going to be able to help her with!  I don't do fish and hooks!

It was a great day spent with wonderful family.  So nice seeing Hubbys' family.  Being spread across the US, it's nice to get together and spend some time together.

potd #186.  E was very happy with this catch.  Right after I took this picture, it just about jumped out of her hands and back into the lake.  It was very funny.

Quick Pic

Another great day on vacation.

Went to a small shower that some of Aunt N's friends had for the bride, L.

The food was delicious and the company was wonderful.

A beautiful night to sit out on the patio.

Looking forward to a day spent at the lake tomorrow.

potd #185.  These were very yummy brownies.  Rich, decadent, yummy.  They had caramel.  Stopped myself at 1.  Only because I spied the key lime pie.  That's my downfall.  It was delicious.